Today, we’re checking out the Kingston FURY Renegade G5, a PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD with capacities reaching up to 4 TB. The model under review is the 2 TB version, boasting speeds of up to 14,700 MB/s read and 14,000 MB/s write.
Disclosure: Kingston sent the FURY Renegade G5 for the purpose of this review. The company did not ask me to say anything particular about it.
Table of Contents:
Technical Specifications
The Kingston FURY Renegade G5 PCIe 5.0 NVMe M.2 SSD is built for gamers who need top-tier storage performance. It features the SM2508 controller paired with a DRAM cache and 3D NAND TLC memory. The drive supports Microsoft DirectStorage and comes with a 5-year limited warranty.
| Storage | |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 2 TB (also available in 1 TB and 4 TB) |
| Flash Controller | Silicon Motion SM2508 |
| Flash Memory | 3D NAND |
| Form Factor | M.2 2280 |
| Interface | PCIe Gen 5 x4 |
| Sequential Read | 14,700 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | 14,000 MB/s |
| Random Read | 2,200,000 IOPS |
| Random Write | 2,200,000 IOPS |
| Endurance | |
| MTBF | 2,000,000 Hours |
| TBW | 2000 TB |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 80 mm |
| Width | 22 mm |
| Height | 2.3 mm |
| Weight | 7.7 grams |
Packaging and Accessories
The FURY Renegade G5 comes in a small packaging.
Scope of delivery are as follows:
- Kingston FURY Renegade G5 2 TB SSD
- Documentation (written inside the box itself)
Design, Build and Connectivity
The FURY Renegade G5 comes in the standard M.2 2280 form factor. It features the SM2508 controller from Silicon Motion, powered by a quad-core ARM Cortex R8 CPU. With 8 NAND channels and a DRAM cache, it can achieve sequential read and write speeds of up to 14.5 GB/s and 14 GB/s, along with random read/write performance of 2.5M/2.5M IOPS.
The back of the Renegade G5 features the warranty and information sticker. Like many SSDs in the M.2 2280 form factor, higher-capacity models often have an additional pair of NAND flash in this area. However, our 2 TB model lacks the extra NAND, allowing all the heat to dissipate more efficiently in a single area.
The Kingston FURY Renegade G5 comes with a limited 5 year manufacturer warranty and free technical support.
Throughput
The FURY Renegade G5 exceeded Kingston’s rated speeds in the CrystalDiskMark write test, though it falls slightly short on the read. A promising start for Kingston’s latest PCIe Gen 5 SSD.
IOPS
Yet another expectation cut short is the Renegade G5 in IOPS benchmarks. The best recorded read performance is 1,244,043 IOPS, while the write performance peaks at about 686,044 IOPS.
Access Time
The access time performance of the Renegade G5 is impressive. On the RND4KQ1T1 test, the SSD delivered a read speed of 47.18 μs and an exceptionally fast write speed of 13.30 μs.
File Copy
The Renegade G5 is a sufficiently fast PCIe Gen 5 SSD for handling tasks you’d typically encounter in real-world scenarios.
Compression
The compression performance of the Renegade G5 is stable, leaving no room for complaints.
Cache
The Renegade G5’s DRAM cache performance is consistent, ranking among the best I’ve tested for PCIe Gen 5 SSDs.
Temperature
I recently tested another PCIe Gen 5 SSD and was thoroughly impressed by the FURY Renegade G5’s thermal performance in comparison. I would highly recommend it for any build, especially those with limited space and poor airflow.
Final Thoughts
The FURY Renegade G5 is a strong entry from Kingston into the consumer-grade PCIe 5.0 SSD market. While not every benchmark precisely hit Kingston’s advertised maximums, the drive consistently delivered high sequential read and write speeds, indicating its capability for demanding data transfer tasks. Its real-world file copy performance and impressive access times, particularly for writes, also shows its utility for everyday and professional workloads.
A notable strength of the FURY Renegade G5 is its thermal management. Even without an aftermarket heatsink, the drive maintained reasonable temperatures under load, suggesting its suitability for systems with constrained airflow or compact form factors. This is a significant improvement for PCIe 5.0 drives, which typically generate more heat than their predecessors.
At approximately $300 USD for the 2 TB model, the Kingston FURY Renegade G5 positions itself as a competitive option within the enthusiast and high-performance segment. While PCIe 5.0 technology is still maturing and pricing for these SSDs remains at a premium compared to PCIe 4.0 alternatives, the FURY Renegade G5 offers a robust performance profile backed by a 5-year warranty.
For gamers building new systems with PCIe 5.0 motherboard support or those seeking to maximize storage performance for intensive applications and gaming, the Kingston FURY Renegade G5 presents a performance oriented and thermally efficient solution that delivers on its core promises.
Kingston FURY Renegade G5 (2 TB) SSD $329.99
Product Name: FURY Renegade G5 (2 TB)
Product Description: The Kingston FURY Renegade G5 is a high-performance PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD, delivering blazing speeds and excellent thermal efficiency for next-gen gaming and demanding workloads.
Brand: Kingston
Summary
The Kingston FURY Renegade G5 is a robust PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD that delivers on its promise of extreme speed and, importantly, manages its thermal profile exceptionally well. While its IOPS figures didn’t quite hit peak theoretical numbers, its sequential throughput, real-world file handling, and remarkable temperature control make it a strong contender for high-performance systems.
Pros
- Achieves very high sequential read and write speeds
- Demonstrates efficient handling of typical file copy operations
- Maintains relatively low operating temperatures even under load
- Particularly fast write access times
- Good DRAM cache maintains consistent performance
- DirectStorage support future-proofs the drive for upcoming games and applications
- 5-Year limited warranty
Cons
- Actual IOPS performance fell short of the advertised
- Carries a higher price tag compared to other PCIe 5.0 SSDs
